In various settings and applications, it may be useful to lubricate power transmission components in order to reduce damage to the components, protect them from excessive wear, and so on. In various configurations, lubrication can be implemented via a sump of lubrication fluid (e.g., lubricating oil) into which a portion of various moving components may extend. For example, as various components within a power transmission rotate, they may pass through a lubrication sump (e.g., a sump formed by a housing of the components) for direct lubrication.
Depending on the configuration of a fluid-containing case (e.g., a housing of a transmission with an internal oil sump) and other factors, the level of lubrication fluid in a lubrication sump may vary from negligible levels of fluid to levels exceeding the centerline of various rotating parts (e.g., a power transmission shaft and associated components within a transmission housing). Further, sump levels may vary between various static oil levels (including static levels at various vehicle tilt from normal) and dynamic oil levels (i.e., sump levels during operation of the power transmission or other components).
Various issues may accordingly arise with regard to certain approaches to lubricating power transmission components. For example, an overly high static (or other) oil level in a power transmission case may impose excessive parasitic losses on the associated transmission of power (e.g., through the large windage losses of components rotating through the oil). Further, unexpected or unavoidable variation in the level of the sump may result in inadequate lubrication of various components.